CONSERVATION of TERRACED LANDSCAPE AS PROTECTION of SOIL AGAINST EROSION (By Sustainable Land Management)

Anton PROSEN1 Anka LISEC2

CONSERVATION OF TERRACED LANDSCAPE AS PROTECTION OF SOIL AGAINST EROSION (by sustainable land management)

Ljubljana, Slovenia, February 15, 2008

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, Jamova 2, Ljubljana: 1 [email protected] 2 [email protected] OVERVIEW 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Legal characteristics of land 1.2 Terraced Landscape

2 RURAL LAND IN SLOVENIA 2.1 Legal and physical characteristics of rural land 2.2 Land conoslidation in Slovenia

3 HOLISTIC LAND MANAGEMENT (consolidation) 3.1 Arable land as part of cultural landscape 3.2 Holistic approach to land management 3.3 Functions of terraced landscape 3.4 Soil erosion in Slovenia - a case of strong precipitation in 2005

4 CONCLUSIONS

______Prosen, A., Lisec A.: Conservation of Terraced Landscape as Protection against Erosion, Ljubljana, Slovenia, February 15, 2008. 1 Introduction 2 Rural land in Slovenia 3 Holistic land management 4 Conclusions 1.1 Legal characteristics of land

Land - vital good for human being; - physical thing: the surface of the Earth; - legal point of view: set of rights to its use with numbers of legal limitation and land use control;

Land and soil protection sustainable development

Relation between man and land - natural landscape - cultural landscape – man’s presence and activities pronounced Leskovec – Lower Sava Valley ______Prosen, A., Lisec A.: Conservation of Terraced Landscape as Protection against Erosion, Ljubljana, Slovenia, February 15, 2008. 1 Introduction 2 Rural land in Slovenia 3 Holistic land management 4 Conclusions 1.2 Arable land in hilly landscape - terraces

Agricultural land use: - land location, - relief, - hydrographic conditions, - soil conditions, - socioeconomic conditions…

Lucija – Mediterranean region

Preska – Dolenjska region ______Prosen, A., Lisec A.: Conservation of Terraced Landscape as Protection against Erosion, Ljubljana, Slovenia, February 15, 2008. 1 Introduction 2 Rural land in Slovenia 3 Holistic land management 4 Conclusions 2.1 Legal and physical characteristics

Rural Land in Slovenia: - Rural land as a kind of social good; - Natural conditions – numerous dispersed settlements and specific structure of land use; - Majority of cultivated land is in less favoured areas; - Low production capacity of farms in hilly regions; - Today approx. 75000 small (6,3 ha) and mostly part-time private farms; - Land parcel fragmentation!!!

Land consolidation

Log – Lower Sava Valley ______Prosen, A., Lisec A.: Conservation of Terraced Landscape as Protection against Erosion, Ljubljana, Slovenia, February 15, 2008. 1 Introduction 2 Rural land in Slovenia 3 Holistic land management 4 Conclusions 2.2 Land Consolidation in Slovenia

History of the implementation of land consolidation in Slovenia: - before the Second World War (772 ha) - 1. period after the Second World War: 1945 – 1973 (1333 ha) - 2. period after the Second World War: 1976 – 1990 (54344 ha)

After 1991: - uncompleted land conslidations - 1996: new legislation - the inciatives of farmers have been increasing ______Prosen, A., Lisec A.: Conservation of Terraced Landscape as Protection against Erosion, Ljubljana, Slovenia, February 15, 2008. 1 Introduction 2 Rural land in Slovenia 3 Holistic land management 4 Conclusions 3.1 Cultural landscape

Arable land as part of cultural landscape Important ecological structures in the rural landscape: - Hedges. - Boundary ecosystems. - Small groups of trees and bushes. - Individual trees. - Stream water and river banks. - Ponds, pools and water holes…

Conservation of ecological elements: - protection against erosion, salinisation, acidification etc. - biodiversity – ecosystems network; ______Prosen, A., Lisec A.: Conservation of Terraced Landscape as Protection against Erosion, Ljubljana, Slovenia, February 15, 2008. 1 Introduction 2 Rural land in Slovenia 3 Holistic land management 4 Conclusions 3.2 Holistic Approach to land management

Negative effects of land conoslidation in the past

Sustainable development (economic, environmental and social (aethetic) aspects of land management)

Terraced landscape – a special form of cultivated land - aesthetic importance - cultural importance - ecomonic role (agricultural production, tourism) - environmental function (protection against water erosion!!!)

Water erosion: - 12% of Europe’s total land area are subject to water erosion (EEA, 1995) - Serious problem in the mountainous cultivated areas (erosion by running water) - Surface flow can be controlled by graded banks and terraces (provide a series of short slopes that limit overland flow)

Developed technical solutions ->

- Heavy rain (21st August 2005) in the municipality of Sevnica, southeastern Slovenia - The quantity amounts of precipitation were 130-180 mm in 48 hours

(1) Suitable land management assuring the stability of terrain and protection of soil against erosion is important construction, agriculture, forestry. (2) Rural land management, including land consolidation, has to take into consideration the sustainable spatial development, with environmental, social and economic component of the rural landscape. (3) The legal view of the land is very important – owners’ agreement! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

CONSERVATION OF TERRACED LANDSCAPE AS PROTECTION OF SOIL AGAINST EROSION Ljubljana, Slovenia, February 15, 2008

Anton PROSEN, Anka LISEC